Poster #70 - Effectiveness of the Teaching Recovery Techniques Intervention Among Newcomer Students in Sweden

• In Event: Poster Session 03

Abstract

Background: During recent years, Europe has faced a large influx of refugees and migrants whereof many youth present with mental health problems, specifically symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (UNHCR, 2021). Such symptoms can have significant implications for the development of language, attachment, emotion regulation, behavior control, cognition and self-perception (Dyregrov & Yule, 2006). Overall, interventions targeting PTSD symptoms are highly warranted for refugee and migrant youth. Several barriers to accessing mental health interventions occur in post-migration settings, yet schools offer a safe environment for these interventions (Fazel & Betancourt, 2018). There is limited research on the impact of school-based interventions addressing mental health problems in newcomer youths, especially in the Swedish context. This cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) aimed to explore the effectiveness of the Teaching Recovery Techniques (TRT) intervention among newcomer students with PTSD symptoms in Swedish secondary schools.
Methods: A total of 72 secondary schools were contacted for participation in the study. Schools that were multi-ethnic, with the definition that at least 30% of their registered students should have a background other than Swedish, were eligible for participation. Nine secondary schools agreed to participate and were randomly assigned (1:1) to TRT or waitlist control prior to the baseline assessment. Follow-up data collection occurred immediately after and three-month post-intervention. Outcomes measures included the Children's Revised Impact of Event Scale (CRIES-8) for assessment of PTSD symptoms and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) for assessment of general mental health problems. In total, 531 students in 29 classes were approached. Among these, 61 youth (mean age: 15.3 years) gave consent and were eligible to be included in the study: 55 in the intervention group and six in the control group. Given the low number of participants in the control condition, we merely analysed the intervention group with students who had received TRT.
Results: Within subjects ANOVA analyses revealed significant reductions in both PTSD symptoms and general mental health problems from baseline to the three months-follow-up (p < 0.001) among students who had received TRT. In addition, 35% of the participants were classified as recovered on PTSD symptoms and 20% on general mental health problems according to the Reliable Change Index (RCI) and Clinically Significant Change (CSC) approaches.
Conclusions: Overall, our results indicate that TRT, delivered in a school setting, is a promising intervention for newcomer students with PTSD symptoms. Thus, the study adds knowledge on the impact of school-based interventions addressing mental health problems in newcomer youths. Nonetheless, for successful recruitment of schools to cluster RCTs and implementation of school-based interventions such as TRT, the school management needs to actively support the implementation and allocate resources in the form of dedicated time to school staff who implement the interventions. Additional main lessons learned from the study will be presented.

Authors

• Natalie Durbeej, Uppsala University
  Presenting Author

• Anna Sarkadi, Uppsala University

• Raziye Salari, Uppsala universitet

• Fatumo Osman